Members of United Healthcare Workers East picketed yesterday out front of three hursing home facilities in New Jersey: Manhattanview, Teaneck Nursing Center, and Amboy Care. The employees are fighting for a new contract from the facilities’ owner, Hackensack-based Broadway Healthcare Management.

The union is seeking a modest pay increase for its workers and wants to preserve current health care benefits. However, every time the employment contracts are up, the facilities state they are too poor to increase their worker’s pay.

Increasing worker’s pay for qualified nursing staff is essential in order to preserve the highest level of patient care. Those entrusted with caring for our loved ones need to be compensated accordingly.